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Introduction of Taiatari

What
Is Taitari

Taiatari
is a kendo technique which requires good balance, and strength from
the core.

Taiatari
is actually also called body crash.....as that is exactly what
happens. Two kendoka come together and crash their bodies together.
Sometimes this can happen when one kendoka does not move to the side.
It can be used to make your opponent feel out of balance, and also
can be used before hiki – waza. But taitari is also a very good
technique to use to increase your spirit, and to get used to going
forward, or going through.

When
practicing taitari, at the moment of impact, kendoka need to use
their full energy. When doing this, automatically kaia increases as
does our energy within. This feeling of full energy is what drives
kendoka forward when hitting. Therefore taitari technique helps the
kendoka feel that moment of full energy and going through. In order
to do this well, the energy must remain in the lower part of the
body, this can take away the effort from the arms and relax our
shoulders. Therefore the focus of the movement is transferred from
the upper to the lower body, which is how kendoka should move.

Taitari
is therefore a very useful and important movement to practice. It may
help with balance, confidence and also help moving forward with full
spirit while maintaining proper posture.

How
to perfom Taitari correctly

It
is very important when doing taiatari, you meet your opponent with
your back straight. At the moment of impact, you should take a small
step forward, and meet his force with your body, NOT
with your arms or hands. Many people make the mistake of pushing
their arms out in front, but this can only cause injury to your arms
or hands, and also takes your centre of gravity away from the centre
of your body. In doing this, it is very easy for you to be pushed
away, or even fall back.

When
taking the step forward to meet your opponent, you must bring your
shinai down to your dantien, close your body. In this way, your
centre of gravity is focused from your body, and not the hands.

The
best way to get into the correct position, is to start from kamae.

The
two kendoka should then move slowly towards each other brining their
shinai closer to each other, and eventually meeting together. In this
way, the kote are not in contact, and the tsuba of the shinai are in
contact instead. This stops any injuries to the hands or fingers.

As
the picture shows, the two kendoka are very close to each other.
Their backs are straight and they are pushing with their bodies,
rather than the hands or arms.

Performing
taiatari can be quite difficult and intimidating, especially when
faced with a large stronger opponent. But with practice, you will
become more confident to carry it out.

The
main points to remember:

Move
forward with a straight back

Take
a small step forward as you make contact with your opponent

Keep
the energy within lower part of body, in this way you are able to
‘absorb’ the opponents movement

Do
not push with hands or arms, this will only increase the risk of
injury.